Louis Joseph Thomassin (1856-1905) likely apprenticed in the Bazin family workshop, in Mirecourt, where children began apprenticeships at very young ages. Given that Francois Xavier Bazin died in 1865, Thomassin would have recieved more direct influence from Nicolas Bazin but was just old enough to witness the changing style in their family workshop before moving to Paris in 1871 to enter the employ of Francois Nicolas Voirin. Louis Thomassin assumed the helm of Voirin’s workshop after his master’s death in 1885, but opened his own workshop in 1891. He trained and worked with his son, Claude Thomassin who was also a highly esteemed achetier who continued working on his father’s Voirin influenced model. 

Louis Thomassin’s self branded output was small, but he also made bows on commission for other shops, including J.B. Collin-Mezin, by whom this fine example of Thomassin’s work is stamped to the player side handle. It is simply exquisite and has a final balanced weight of